ANZAC Reading Challenge 2017

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ANZAC Reading Challenge 2017

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1avatiakh
Bewerkt: jan 1, 2017, 1:07 am


Welcome to the 2017 ANZAC Reading Challenge

This is a challenge to read Australian and/or New Zealand writers

First a link back to the 2016 ANZAC Author Reading Challenge - http://www.librarything.com/topic/211009

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2avatiakh
Bewerkt: jan 1, 2017, 1:53 am

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ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, this corps was created early in the Great War of 1914–18.
Over the years the word Anzac has become part of the culture of New Zealanders and Australians. People talk about the 'spirit of Anzac'; there are Anzac biscuits, and rugby or rugby league teams from the two countries play an Anzac Day test. The word conjures up a shared heritage of two nations. ANZAC Day is 25 April, the date itself marks the anniversary of the landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers – the Anzacs – on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915.



This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle for Beersheva -'...The capture of Tel el Saba took much longer than hoped for, the NZ Mounted Rifles attack came under heavy fire that continued all day.
The secondary attack planned for the Australian Light Horse was held up until the threats from the machine guns were cleared. No advance could not take place across the Desert floor corridor with the Turks holding this stategic point.The New Zealand attack finally succeeded only a half hour before sunset - the Anzac position was in a critical state - the attack was in desperate need for water for the horses and men, a source that was only available in the town itself - Australian General Harry Chauvel took a gamble and ordered a mounted charge across the open ground into the enemy garrison town.
With bayonets in hand the 4th Australian Light Horse charged into history and captured the fortified town before the sun had set. '

3avatiakh
Bewerkt: dec 31, 2016, 4:48 pm

Instead of repeating last year's bimonthly list of 3 + 3 writers, I've decided to free us up somewhat and go for a Bingo List. So here are two bingo lists of 25 books and 2 of 12 books. The only criteria is that the book has to have been written by either a citizen or resident of Australia or New Zealand.
Please choose your list and then spend the year reading through it. If you don't want to do a bingo challenge then either use the lists as prompts or just post your thoughts about any suitable books you happen to read this year.

ANZAC Bingo 1x25
1: Read a book set around WW1
2: Read a dystopian novel
3: Read a book published between 1950-1979
4: Read a book about convicts or forced migration
5: Read a book by a dead author
6: Read a book from a 'best of' list
7: Read a book with a rural setting
8: Read a book with yellow on the cover
9: Read a book less than 200 pages
10: Read a book set outside Australasia
11: Read a journal/memoir (can be fiction)
12: Read a book about colonists/settlers
13: Read a book with a name in the title
14: Read a fantasy novel
15: Read a book about the goldrush
16: Read an award winner
17: Read a book with a murder
18: Read a book by a young writer under 35yrs
19: Read a book with a school/education setting
20: Read a book published in 2016/17
21: Read a book with a # or quantity in the title
22:Read a book about a marriage/relationship
23:Read a young adult book
24: Read a book by an indigenous writer
25: Read a book with an animal/bird on the cover

ANZAC Bingo 1x12
1) Read a book about love
2) Read a coming of age novel
3) Read a historical fiction
4) Read a book set on a Pacific Island
5) Read a children's classic
6) Read a refugee story
7) Read a scifi novel
8) Read a book with a place name in the title
9) Read a bestseller
10) Read a black comedy/noir
11) Read a debut novel
12) Read a book of short stories

4avatiakh
Bewerkt: jan 2, 2017, 4:25 pm

ANZAC Bingo 2x25
1: Read a young adult novel
2: Read a family saga
3: Read a book with a Victorian setting
4: Read a book with a one word title
5: Read a book with a male protaganist
6: Read a Text Publishing Classic
7: Read a book with a person on the cover
8: Read a book about sport or racing
9: Read a book with name in the title
10: Read a Booker nominated writer
11: Read a book set on the coast
12: Read a book by a woman writer
13: Read a New Zealand crime novel
14: Read a book of poetry or essays
15: Read a book by an ex-pat writer
16: Read a book with a senior citizen as protagonist
17: Read a book that's been on a short/longlist
18: Read a book with a blue spine
19: Read a novella
20: Read a book that the author's surname is a noun
21: Read a book with a character with a disability or phobia
22: Read a book with magical realism
23: Read a book with a robbery
24: Read a book that's part of a trilogy
25: Read a book by a small press publisher

ANZAC Bingo 2x12
1: Read a book about conflict or war
2: Read a book with more than 500 pgs
3: Read an Aussie crime novel
4: Read a book using word play in the title or a book made into tv/movie
5: Read a book about exploration or a journey
6: Read a book that's been longlisted for the International DUBLIN Literary Award
7: Read a book that's part of a series
8: Read a memoir/biography (can be fiction)
9: Read a book written under a pen name
10: Read a book with a musical plot
11: Read a book with water featured in title/cover
12: Read a book with an immigrant protagonist

7avatiakh
Bewerkt: dec 29, 2016, 1:30 am



Text Classics series

The Text Classics series is designed to unearth some of the lost marvels of our literature, and to allow readers to rediscover wonderful books they have never forgotten. These books are milestones in the Australasian experience. We have chosen them in the conviction that they still have much to say to us, undiminished in their power to delight, challenge and surprise us.

8cushlareads
dec 29, 2016, 12:43 am

Hi Kerry,

Thanks for setting this up - I love the Bingo idea and will try to read something off the 25 list. We went up to Waitangi last week with the kids and it made me think yet again that I would like to read more local books, especially NZ history ones. I had a shocking reading year in 2016 and managed 0 NZ books!

9avatiakh
dec 29, 2016, 1:03 am

Hi Cushla - I thought it would make an interesting change, the fun is in the process, so no expectation to read all 12 or 25 books. There are lots of excellent local books around, I'm hoping that this thread becomes a discussion area as much as anything. I read the first in Graeme Lay's James Cook trilogy a few weeks ago, that included his first navigation around New Zealand and was very interesting.

I'll be adding some more book info and some resources.

10PaulCranswick
dec 29, 2016, 3:42 am

Thanks for setting this up Kerry.

I think I will go for 2x25 bingo card, I think.

11roundballnz
dec 29, 2016, 3:48 am

Love the Bingo idea .....

12SandDune
dec 29, 2016, 1:52 pm

Well I've spent a happy couple of hours fitting books to the bingo card:

1: Read a book about conflict or war The Narrow Road to the Deep North Richard Flanagan
2: Read a book with more than 500 pgs The Luminaries Eleanor Catton
3: Read an Aussie crime novel True History of the Kelly Gang Peter Carey
4: Read a book using word play in the title Tirra Lirra by the River Jessica Anderson
5: Read a book about exploration or a journey The Hut Builder Laurence Fearnley
6: Read a book that's been longlisted for the International DUBLIN Literary Award The World Without Us Mireille Juchau
7: Read a book that's part of a series Plumb Maurice Gee
8: Read a memoir/biography (can be fiction) To the Island Janet Frame
9: Read a book written under a pen name The Getting of Wisdom Henry Handel Richardson
10: Read a book with a musical plot The Chimes Anna Smaill
11: Read a book with water featured in title/cover Mister Pip Loyd Jones
12: Read a book with an immigrant protagonist The Secret River Kate Grenville

I'm not very happy about number 4 and number 3 is probably cheating slightly ...

13HelenBaker
dec 30, 2016, 9:39 pm

I will have to study my shelves before I decide which group to run with.
>12 SandDune: Your 3. This was the title that came to mind as well as I don't have many crime novels on my shelves but I do have True History of the Kelly Gang waiting. That is a great list you have chosen. I can see this will take a few days for me to decide.

14avatiakh
dec 30, 2016, 10:09 pm

>12 SandDune: Oh, you're ahead of me on this and that's a great lineup of books. I'm going for the first 25 one but have no real idea of which books as yet, lots of contenders.

I'll be posting suggestions, just give me some time. I'll be listing some crossover YA which will be more palatable to those who don't normally read in this area.

15HelenBaker
Bewerkt: dec 27, 2017, 8:32 pm

I am thinking I will attempt the 1x25 list.
*1: Read a book set around World War 1 - The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally*
*2: Read a dystopian novel - The Chimes by Anna Smaill*
*3: Read a book published between 1950-1979 - A Breed of Women by Fiona kidman*
4: Read a book about convicts or forced migration
*5: Read a book by a dead author -Nevil Shute or Gorse is not People by Janet Frame* or both.
*6: Read a book from a 'best of' list - The Harp in the South by Ruth Park*
*7: Read a book with a rural setting -The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville*
*8: Read a book with yellow on the cover - Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne*
*9: Read a book less than 200 pages - The Severed Land by Maurice Gee*
*10: Read a book set outside Australasia - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks*
*11: Read a journal/memoir - The Boy Behind the Curtain by Tim Winton*
*12: Read a book about colonists/settlers -Slow Water by Annamarie Jagose.*
*13: Read a book with a name in the title - The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey*
*14: Read a fantasy novel -Fosterling by Emma Neale*
*15: Read a book about the goldrush - Finding Father; the Journal of Mary Brogan, Otago, 1862*
*16: Read an award winner - The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville*
*17: Read a book with a murder - The Dry by Jane Harper*
18: Read a book by a young writer under 35yrs
*19: Read a book with a school/education setting- The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton*
*20: Read a book published in 2016/17 - Love as a Stranger by Owen Marshall*
*21: Read a book with a # or quantity in the title - Nine Days by Toni Jordan*
*22:Read a book about a marriage/relationship - The Warrior Queen by Barbara Else*
*23:Read a young adult book - Calling the Gods by Jack Lasenby*
*24: Read a book by an indigenous writer - Where the Rekohu Bone Sings by Tina Makereti*
*25: Read a book with an animal/bird on the cover - The Legend of Winstone Blackhat by Tanya Moir*

I will add to this in the coming days and weeks. I need to identify my Australian authors. As a member of ANZ LitLovers I read a a lot of Australian authors, so hopefully some of this year's schedule will fall into these categories. My New Zealand books I keep together beside my bed so they are easy to match.
I am looking forward to this challenge.
* notates when read.

16avatiakh
Bewerkt: dec 5, 2017, 8:06 pm

ANZAC Bingo 1x25
1: Read a book set around WW1 - Somme Mud by E.P.F. Lynch
2: Read a dystopian novel - The Quiet Earth by Craig Harrison
3: Read a book published between 1950-1979 - Living in the Maniototo by Janet Frame (1979)
4: Read a book about convicts or forced migration - The Second Bridegroom by Rodney Hall
5: Read a book by a dead author - The Godwits Fly by Robin Hyde
6: Read a book from a 'best of' list - The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
7: Read a book with a rural setting - The White Earth by Andrew McGahan
8: Read a book with yellow on the cover - Between Sky and Sea by Herz Bergner
9: Read a book less than 200 pages - The Severed Land by Maurice Gee

10: Read a book set outside Australasia - The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
11: Read a journal/memoir (can be fiction) - Looking for Darwin by Lloyd Spencer Davis
12: Read a book about colonists/settlers - Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar
13: Read a book with a name in the title - The Legend of Winstone Blackhat by Tanya Moir
14: Read a fantasy novel - The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan
15: Read a book about the goldrush - It's raining in Mango by Thea Astley
16: Read an award winner - Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher
17: Read a book with a murder - Trust No One by Paul Cleave
18: Read a book by a young writer under 35yrs - While we run by Karen Healey

19: Read a book with a school/education setting - Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
20: Read a book published in 2016/17 - Tell the truth, shame the devil by Melina Marchetta
21: Read a book with a # or quantity in the title - Sixty Lights by Gail Jones
22:Read a book about a marriage - Perfect Couple by Derek Hansen
23:Read a young adult book - My sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
24: Read a book by an indigenous writer - Mutuwhenua by Patricia Grace
25: Read a book with an animal/bird on the cover - All the green year by Don Charlwood

I've added titles but reserve the right to chop and change as the year progresses. This was a lot of fun, pulling out and dusting off a few older books. I have a number of the Text Publishing Classics books and have managed to fit several to this bingo card.

17HelenBaker
dec 31, 2016, 4:02 pm

I think the fact that our lists don't overlap shows the diversity of Australian and New Zealand writers. I hope we can encourage some others to join us in discovering this.
Happy New Year, Kerry. I hope you find some surprises in your selection. Thanks for setting this up. In the next day or so I need to set up my new ticker threads.

18avatiakh
dec 31, 2016, 4:47 pm

Yes, so many great books. I did think at one stage that I was going to end up with all Australian novels and had to tear myself away and look at my NZ stash. I also tried to steer clear of children's books, though I might put together a juvenile bingo card as I have many to get read.

I thought 'read a book about marriage' would be very easy but most books I pulled off the shelf seemed to be about affairs or family so I'm going to change it to marriage/relationship which will also include LGBT relationships as I don't think same-sex marriage is legal in Australia.

19HelenBaker
dec 31, 2016, 7:16 pm

I thought the same. Nearly put Owen Marshall's latest in that slot, but it is also an affair. That change works for me.

20HelenBaker
dec 31, 2016, 7:24 pm

Added a few more, 5 to go. It will happen. So far all books off the TBR shelf.

21nittnut
dec 31, 2016, 10:11 pm

Love the Bingo challenge. I will work on my list over the next week or so, but I think I can fit a few OTS books in for sure. Of course, OTS actually means in a box, in storage at the moment, but we are hopeful that will change soon.

22roundballnz
jan 1, 2017, 6:55 pm

There some good books here, might want to try fit them into the bingo cards :)

https://readingmattersblog.com/2016/12/30/my-favourite-books-of-2016/

23avatiakh
jan 1, 2017, 7:41 pm

>22 roundballnz: Talking to my country by Stan Grant was one I wanted to suggest to kidzdoc a while back but then couldn't remember the title. I had read a review of it and thought it would be a good topical read.

Lots of good picks there, I have Aunts up the Cross but it didn't make the cut on my first bingo card.

>21 nittnut: Hi Jenn, hope you can get unpacked soon. There is a Project Gutenburg Australia - http://gutenberg.net.au/
Also New Zealand has some free e-books available - https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/1000-new-zealand-classics-released-ebooks-110297

24LovingLit
Bewerkt: jan 2, 2017, 4:54 am

>7 avatiakh: I read one from this publisher series, basically on account of the fact that it had a pretty cover! It was a great read too, I'll go check which one it was :)

Eta: it was The Watch Tower by Elizabeth Harrower. And the cover was actually a bit random! I musthave been drawn for some other reason 😊

25LovingLit
jan 2, 2017, 4:47 am

>15 HelenBaker: for #15 you could try Rose Tremain's The Colour. And for #19 how about The God Boy which features a school....If you are looking for ones to fill the gaps that is.

26PaulCranswick
jan 2, 2017, 7:32 am

>12 SandDune: I am doing the same Bingo card as Rhian, but I reckon I may need a bit of help with some of the Cats. Numbers 4 and 5 especially.

Any ideas anyone?!!!!

27drneutron
Bewerkt: jan 2, 2017, 12:20 pm

Well, my favorite explorer book is The River of Doubt - which gives me a chance to plug Candice Millard again...

ETA - Oh wait, this is ANZAC thread. Never mind...

28avatiakh
Bewerkt: jan 2, 2017, 7:27 pm

>26 PaulCranswick: well, my intention was to give the shorter bingo cards easier options. I hadn't thought through 'word play', just assumed that we'd easily find some crime novels that fit. I have to say I haven't found anything much despite looking through aussie crime fiction so will change that category - to include 'books to film'. I want people to be able to find the books fairly easily, the intention is to enjoy reading from our tbr piles rather than looking out for obscure reads.

Explorer/Journey books, I'd include voyages too: Tracks, The Dig Tree, Cooper's Creek, Voss, The Explorers, Slow Water, The Naturalist, Wulf, On the beach, The Secret Life of James Cook, Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, Between sky and sea
I think Oscar & Lucinda has a number of voyages/overland journeys.
I'll keep adding possible books through the day as I think of them.

30PaulCranswick
jan 2, 2017, 7:16 pm

>28 avatiakh: & 29 Thanks for both of those, Kerry. I now have a few to choose from in both categories straight off the shelves!

31HelenBaker
jan 3, 2017, 3:16 am

>25 LovingLit:.Thanks for the suggestions but I have read both of those.

32avatiakh
jan 3, 2017, 4:58 am

>25 LovingLit: >31 HelenBaker: For a school setting, I'll suggest Into the river by Ted Dawe, it was the young adult novel banned by the NZ censor & slammed by the Family First group a couple of years ago. Or Genesis by Bernard Beckett which has an education setting. Both won awards.

33HelenBaker
jan 4, 2017, 1:16 am

OK, thanks for the suggestions. I certainly have plenty to be going on with.

34cushlareads
jan 4, 2017, 1:35 am

>9 avatiakh: Kerry, I went to Karori library to get out The Secret Life of James Cook after your post and I am loving it! I also can't believe I don't know anything about him. I am hoping to finish it tomorrow then will go find the next one.

35avatiakh
jan 4, 2017, 5:15 am

>24 LovingLit: I'm a bit annoyed that this Text series isn't more available in New Zealand as they are really affordable little treats like the Orange Penguins were. I ordered a couple straight from Text and also got the box of 100 postcard covers.
Re The Watch Tower - why do they put one eye on book covers, I find it so unappealing.

>34 cushlareads: Oh, that's good that you liked it, I read The Secret Life of James Cook a few weeks back and also really liked it, I learnt quite a lot and should read the other two books. Joan Druett has written a book about Tupaia which would make a good nonfiction followup.
I'm currently reading a children's book Spice and the Devil's Cave which is set in Portugal in the time of Vasco de Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, definitely whetting my interest to read more about this time period.

36avatiakh
jan 4, 2017, 5:28 am

I'm starting my ANZAC reading challenge with the audio of Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar, a book about a colonial family trying to make a go of farming and their aboriginal neighbours. Last year I drove through Salt Creek where the book is set, it's about 3 hours south of Adelaide in the Coorong National Park. The book has made lots of award shortlists including last year's Miles Franklin Award.

I've also started Trust No One by Paul Cleave for the book with a murder, I think there'll be a few in this book.

37HelenBaker
jan 4, 2017, 9:59 pm

>36 avatiakh:. Salt Creek is on my book group reading schedule but not until October. I prefer the Text publishing to the Penguin Classics as the print size is so much easier to read. We read The Watch Tower a couple of years ago and I would read more of her work.

38avatiakh
Bewerkt: jan 12, 2017, 9:08 pm

17: Read a book with a murder


Trust No One by Paul Cleave (2015)
crime
I lapped up this entertaining psychological thriller in a couple of days. My second book by Cleave and I'll definitely be back for more as I thought his debut, The Cleaner was a great read too.

Jerry is a fairly successful crime writer with the pseudonym, Henry Cutter, who at the age of 49 develops Alzeimer's. The disease's grip on him is sudden and rapid. He keeps a journal to remember who he really is because he sometimes gets confused between what is real and what is fiction, confessing to the murders from his books could land him in a lot of trouble but maybe he really has done murder...Jerry could be his own worse enemy, maybe Henry Cutter is some sort of alter ego? Where did he put his journal, it could have all the answers.
The book does a back and forward time thing using the journal to the point that the reader too becomes a little confused just like Jerry.

39HelenBaker
Bewerkt: jan 6, 2017, 1:46 am

First book done for this challenge. Read a book by a dead author - Gorse is not People by Janet Frame. Some of these especially the early ones in the collection I really enjoyed but some of the later ones were a bit strange. I found her early character portrayals and scene settings great. A good reflection of mid 20th century NZ.

40avatiakh
jan 8, 2017, 9:43 pm

>19 HelenBaker: Book about a marriage - I was looking through the Text Classics series and came across Down in the city by Elizabeth Harrower (1957) '...story of a troubled and obsessive marriage, set against the backdrop of postwar Sydney, is devastating.'

41avatiakh
Bewerkt: jan 12, 2017, 9:09 pm

10: Read a book set outside of Australasia

The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth (2013)
historical fiction

I loved this, probably not as much as Bitter Greens but a close second. This tells the story of Dortchen Wild, the young girl who lived next door to the Grimm family in early 19th century Kassel, Germany and was one of the main storytellers who supplied the Grimms with the tales that made them famous. From the age of twelve Dortchen knew she was in love with Wilhelm but it took many years for them to be married
There's a good article about Forsyth and the book here: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/missing-piece-of-puzzling-tale-2013032...

42avatiakh
Bewerkt: jan 12, 2017, 9:09 pm

16: Read a book that won an award

Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher (2007)
crime fiction
Hal Challis #4. This won the 2007 Ned Kelly Award for best novel. I'm really enjoying this series, have become a real fan of Garry Disher over the past year when I read through his Wyatt series. This book is one of those perfect police procedural reads, you know the characters well from the previous three books and the plot is intricate and satisfying.

43nittnut
jan 12, 2017, 9:49 pm

I've been reading The Slow Natives, and struggling with it. It reminds of of The Great Gatsby a little. It's terribly depressing.

44avatiakh
jan 12, 2017, 10:25 pm

>43 nittnut: Sorry to hear that, I read her Coda which was a short novel and a really good read. I haven't come across The Slow Natives. Whatever you do steer clear of The man who loved children, a great novel that is so hard to read.

45nittnut
Bewerkt: jan 12, 2017, 10:58 pm

That was weird. It was like a double-but-edited post.
I'm not giving up yet.
steer clear of The man who loved children, a great novel that is so hard to read.
That is such a great description of a lot of books, or how it feels sometimes when you have the wrong book at the wrong time.

46avatiakh
jan 12, 2017, 11:35 pm

Yeah, one of those books that you hate as you read it but when you finish realise that it was a really great read, a classic.

47HelenBaker
jan 13, 2017, 1:19 am

You are doing well in this challenge, Kerry. I will try and start with my next book. I am currently reading A Man Called Ove. I thought I should before seeing the movie.

48HelenBaker
jan 21, 2017, 9:52 pm

I completed my second book in this challenge - Read a book set around World War 1 - The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally. This was excellent and a change of perspective on the war as we view events from the those working in the army hospitals. It was informative and this reader is full of admiration for the sacrifice made by so many . It also has a clever ending.
I am now reading A Breed of Women by Fiona Kidman #3 in this challenge.

49avatiakh
jan 21, 2017, 10:36 pm

>48 HelenBaker: That sounds like a good read, I do want to read more of Keneally's books. I'm still making my way through unrelated library books and other challenges, though if I can get through 3 ANZAC books each month I'll be really happy.

50dallenbaugh
jan 23, 2017, 6:55 pm

I just finished Garry Disher's novel The Dragon Man for #3 Read an Aussie crime novel. It was a good police procedural with well fleshed out characters although I did spot the killer early on. It is the first book in the Hal Challis series, and I will be reading more from this author. This is for Anzac Bingo Challenge 2 x 12.

51cushlareads
jan 24, 2017, 10:31 pm

>48 HelenBaker: Helen, I finished The Daughters of Mars last week too and loved it too. That makes 3 out of 4 books this year ANZAC ones (the others were the first 2 in Graeme Lay's trilogy about James Cook). That's 3 more NZ books than I managed in all of 2016.

52HelenBaker
jan 25, 2017, 2:31 am

I have just finished A Breed of Woman by Fiona Kidman. I really enjoy her books. It is a very good account of the role of women in NZ post World War II. It was her first novel and fills #3 for me.

53nittnut
jan 27, 2017, 12:49 am

I finished The Wild Girl and mostly liked it. There was some pretty intense coverage of sexual and physical abuse, which was difficult, so if you have a hard time reading that sort of thing, be warned.

54avatiakh
jan 29, 2017, 3:57 am

>50 dallenbaugh: I'm completely smitten by this series. I'm up to book #5

>51 cushlareads: You are doing well. I suppose with school back your reading will slow down.

>52 HelenBaker: I haven't read anything by Fiona Kidman as yet.

>53 nittnut: I liked The Wild Girl more than you it seems. Agree that the abuse was hard to read at times.

I'm just looking over what I'll read in February. Possibly start with The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey.

55HelenBaker
Bewerkt: mrt 6, 2017, 2:26 am

I have just finished my 4th for this challenge. Read a book about a marriage/relationship - The Warrior Queen by Barbara Else. It is an entertaining romp set in Remuera, Auckland. I grew up in Ellerslie and half of our street was zoned Remuera. It has always been classified as one of the more well-to-do suburbs of Auckland so I found this book very amusing.
My current book group read will fit nicely into a book in a rural setting. So one gap filled.

56HelenBaker
feb 4, 2017, 2:07 am

The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville was an excellent fit for a book with a rural setting. It is a very character driven book and the town of Karakarook and its environs is definitely one of those characters. That makes 5/25 for this challenge.

57HelenBaker
feb 8, 2017, 2:25 am

I have just finished #6 - a book from the 'best of lists' and indeed The Harp in the South fits this category. I thought it superb. I love how these people, this time and place are bought so vividly to life. I realise I have completed 7/25 of my challenge.

58avatiakh
feb 8, 2017, 3:16 am

Oh you are doing really well. I'm listening to Tell the truth, shame the devil by Melina Marchetta but not sure where it will fit in my challenge. I need to find my copy of The wish child and start reading.

59DeltaQueen50
feb 8, 2017, 10:27 pm

Although I am not doing the full Challenge, I do have a number of ANZAC reads lined up for this year and I started off with Burning For Revenge by John Marsden. This is the fifth book in his YA series about a group of teens who become guerrilla fighters after Australia has been invaded by an unnamed country. Burning for Revenge would fit the "Read a YA Book" square.

60HelenBaker
feb 10, 2017, 2:20 am

>59 DeltaQueen50:. It is wonderful to have members from further afield reading our Australian and New Zealand books. One of my daughters loved that John Marsden series as a teenager.

61HelenBaker
feb 18, 2017, 11:41 pm

I have just finished my eighth book in this challenge, - Read a dystopian novel - The Chimes by Anna Smaill. What an excellent debut novel and deserving of it's international award. I recommend this to the group.

62avatiakh
feb 19, 2017, 4:54 am

>61 HelenBaker: Oh, you are doing so well on this challenge. I loved The Chimes too.

63nittnut
feb 20, 2017, 10:43 am

OK everyone. I've got a book I'm struggling to categorize. Where would I place The Quake Year? It's non-fiction, published 2012, 205 pp long, no awards that I'm aware of. The author herself is award winning, so maybe?

Adding The Chimes to the pile too. :) Miracle of miracles - it's available at my local library!

64HelenBaker
feb 21, 2017, 8:27 pm

>63 nittnut:. Maybe this category - 21: Read a book with a # or quantity in the title or in the next 25 - 25: Read a book by a small press publisher. Nationwide Publishers isn't one I am familiar with.

65nittnut
feb 21, 2017, 8:29 pm

>64 HelenBaker: Because a Year is a sort of quantity, isn't it? *grin*

66HelenBaker
feb 21, 2017, 8:35 pm

>65 nittnut:. That was my thinking Jenn. :-). I have been wanting to read The Broken Book for a long time. One day...

67LovingLit
feb 21, 2017, 10:15 pm

>61 HelenBaker: >62 avatiakh: argh, I need to read The Chimes. I loved that it was nominated for the Booker a while back. And a friend owns a copy and I'm sure he'd let me borrow it.

68DeltaQueen50
feb 22, 2017, 6:30 pm

I am definitely adding The Chimes to my wishlist. I have also just finished Flying Too High by Australian author Kerry Greenwood. This is definitely more of a cozy type mystery, more amusing and lighter than my usual fare of police procedurals. Set in the 1920's, a free-spirited young lady solves mysteries, seduces men, flies planes all with great flair and style.

69avatiakh
feb 28, 2017, 3:52 pm

I read two books in February that I hadn't originally planned on but both fit the challenge so will bump what I originally listed.

Read a book less than 200 pages - The Severed Land by Maurice Gee - this is Gee's latest which just came out in February, a YA fantasy.
Read a book published in 2016/17 - Tell the truth, shame the devil by Melina Marchetta - Marchetta has written several YA books, this was her first adult novel.

I also read Blood Moon by Garry Disher and have started #6 in the Hal Challis series Whispering Death, these don't fit my bingo challenge.

My current read, The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman fits the fantasy slot, so I'll be bumping my entry for that one as well.

70drneutron
feb 28, 2017, 10:43 pm

Hmmm. The Marchetta is going on my list!

71HelenBaker
mrt 6, 2017, 2:33 am

#9 book for this challenge completed. Read a book with yellow on the cover - Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne.
This is an unsettling tale and one that will stay with me for some time. It had me googling the setting, Hicks Bay on the East Cape. This is one of the Text Publishing titles, distinctive by their bright yellow covers but individualised. Much better presented than the Penguin classics, which have such a small font.

72avatiakh
mrt 6, 2017, 4:48 am

>71 HelenBaker: I read this some years ago and so took notice when Text Publishing brought it out again in 2010 with Kate de Goldi's impassioned support of the book.
http://www.noted.co.nz/archive/listener-nz-2012/david-ballantyne-a-reputation-up...

73HelenBaker
mrt 7, 2017, 12:52 am

Thanks for that, Kerry. That is an excellent review which expresses my thoughts so much better than I could.

74avatiakh
mrt 29, 2017, 10:20 pm

Ok, I've spent March finishing the Hal Challis series by Garry Disher and I'm currently finishing up David Hair's Ghosts of Parihaka but hope to get back on track in April.

I also received a giveaway from Text Publishing over on goodreads, so will be slotting The Starlings by Vivienne Kelly in somewhere.

75HelenBaker
Bewerkt: mrt 31, 2017, 4:43 pm

Back at last, I read a book by an indigenous writer - Where the Rekohu Bone Sings by Tina Makereti. This was excellent and sort of appropriate reading as I sit with my mother-in-law who is dying and is half Maori. Now I have to reread it and prepare book group discussion questions. I have also read Golden Deeds by Catherine Chidgey but can't really fit it in to any categories. I really enjoy her writing so look forward to The Wish Child.

76avatiakh
apr 7, 2017, 6:45 am

I noticed at Unity Books yesterday a new edition of Seven Types Of Ambiguity by Elliot Pearlman to coincide with the 2017 tv series based on the book.

77DeltaQueen50
apr 14, 2017, 1:44 am

I have just finished True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey. This book fits a number of Bingo criteria including a book written as a memoir, award winner, name in title, and historical fiction. I really enjoyed this story that was full of adventure, excitement and murder. Set in nineteenth century Australia, I found this to be a very entertaining and clever book.

78avatiakh
apr 17, 2017, 1:15 am

Oh boy, I'm reading ANZAC titles but not from my proposed list. I finished David Hair's Aotearoa series, the last book Magic and Makutu was a good ending. I also just finished the audio of Ruth Park's Missus which I could slot into a rural read.

79avatiakh
apr 21, 2017, 8:29 pm

I've also just finished a brilliant YA read by Australian Glenda Millard, The stars at oktober bend which is currently on the 2017 Carnegie Medal (UK) shortlist.

80roundballnz
apr 21, 2017, 8:32 pm

Here i am reading a bit of NZ stuff, but it's all non fiction so does not hit any ANZAC bingo boxes !!!!

Hope everyone is well

81avatiakh
mei 1, 2017, 6:41 am

Read for a book with a name in the title -

The legend of Winstone Blackhat by Tanya Moir (2016)
fiction
I loved this, it was quite different and beautifully written. Winstone is on the run, that's clear right from the start, he's only about eleven and is hiding out in the hills, far from habited areas. He also has a love for old western movies and so the narrative is split between Winstone's story and the story of two cowboys, Cooper and The Kid who are riding across country chasing their quarry. Why Winstone is on the run only becomes clear towards the end, by then his past life has been revealed.
I hope this book gets taken up by publishers outside of New Zealand, it deserves a wide readership. The story is set in Otago and the descriptions of the desolate, remote landscape are stunning.

'In Winstone’s fantasy life, author Tanya Moir uses the elements of a Western film, which are interwoven into the narrative of the story. As Tanya explains, ‘I wrote it because I was interested by the idea of trying to write a film. Not to write a film script, but to take the visual symbolism of the Western — its camera work, its editing devices — and put them back into words.’

82nittnut
mei 2, 2017, 7:20 pm

I'm nearly finished with The Quake Year, which has been unexpectedly emotional reading. I didn't experience the quakes, but I know people who did and I've seen the aftermath. I can't imagine how it would be to read it after having experienced the quakes.

I've unpacked all the books now, and I've got a nice list going of ones that I want to read, and that fit my BINGO card. :) I've also taken a BB for The Stars at Oktober Bend. The Ruth Park trilogy is on my list, but it's hard to find a copy over here. I may see if I can get the audio.

83DeltaQueen50
Bewerkt: mei 3, 2017, 7:16 pm

I have just finished The Killing Hour by New Zealand author, Paul Cleave. I had previously read The Cleaner by this author and had very high expectations, but unfortunately I found The Killing Hour to be a mediocre thriller. This book would fit both the "Read A Book With a Murder", or the "Read A New Zealand Crime Novel".

84HelenBaker
mei 7, 2017, 2:48 am

>81 avatiakh:.
Hi Kerry, I enjoyed reading your comments about Tanya Moir's book. I hav read her two previous books and thought they were good. I must watch out for this one.

85DeltaQueen50
mei 11, 2017, 10:34 pm

I just completed Dog Boy by Australian author Eva Sallis, writing under the name of Eva Hornung. This was a fascinating story of a feral child who is taken in and cared for by a pack of wild dogs. As the book is set in Moscow, it fits the "Set Outside Australasia" square and as it won the 2010 Australian Prime Minister's Literary Award it also would fit the "Award Winners" square.

86HelenBaker
mei 19, 2017, 3:53 am

Hi Kerry thinking you are probably at the AWF. This is the first year I have not gone since 2012...Lost my mojo a bit this year. Maybe next year.

87avatiakh
Bewerkt: mei 19, 2017, 5:25 am

Yes, I just got back from Ian Rankin, Mandy Hager, Paul Beatty, Amie Kaufman and Nick Bollinger. My first time at the festival in 3 years.

88nittnut
mei 20, 2017, 10:35 pm

I just finished The Quake Year. Fiona Farrell interviewed people living in and around Christchurch in the year or so after the earthquakes. She shares their stories along with photos of them, their gardens, and the broken world around them. I took my time with this, partly because it felt right to take time with each person's story, but also because it ended up being a much more emotional read than I expected. I didn't experience those earthquakes, although I've been in many small ones, so I didn't expect to be so affected. I think perhaps knowing people who did experience them, and having been to Christchurch and seen some of the empty neighborhoods and ruined old buildings, and the memorials to those who lost their lives, helped make it much more real for me. It's a lovely book, very thoughtfully done, and a really good way to understand a little better what it's like for people who've survived something like that.

89DeltaQueen50
mei 23, 2017, 10:53 pm

I have completed Picnic At Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay which is about the disappearance of schoolgirls and a teacher while on a school outing. Based on a true event, the author followed the known facts closely. Beautifully written but I was frustrated that the answer to this mystery has never been found.

90avatiakh
mei 25, 2017, 4:16 am

>83 DeltaQueen50: I also finished The Killing Hour earlier this month. I've also finished a few more Australian reads that don't count towards my Bingo card; The bone sparrow by Zana Frailon, Ballad for a mad girl by Vikki Wakefield and Frogkisser by Garth Nix have all been great reads.

91HelenBaker
mei 25, 2017, 9:18 pm

I have knocked off three more for this challenge - Read a book set outside Australasia - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, Read a book about colonists/settlers -Slow Water by Annamarie Jagose and Read a book published in 2016/17 - Love as a Stranger by Owen Marshall. All worthwhile reads. I am now 13/25, so on target.

92HelenBaker
jun 7, 2017, 4:27 am

14/25 Read a journal/memoir The Boy Behind the Curtain by Tim Winton completed for this challenge. Reasonably interesting but a little disjointed and perhaps a lazy memoir as most of the chapters had previously been published separately in different formats, at different times.

93HelenBaker
jun 12, 2017, 5:02 am

One more for this challenge and excellent it was too - The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey

94nittnut
jun 14, 2017, 11:47 pm

I finished The Stars at Oktober Bend today. I wasn't too sure about this book at first. It's written in a unique way, and it takes a little getting used to. Once I was into the book though, it really wasn't a problem at all. Alice lives with her grandmother and her younger brother. Alice has a brain injury. The story is about how we see ourselves and others, how we judge differences, and how much we do not know, because we cannot see all of a person. It's about forgiveness and love and second chances. Highly recommended.

begun by chance
by happy accident
on stolen pages
is less about
feathers or flies
or wings and more
about words
how they caught me
by surprise
raised me
in their rushing
updraft
lifted me
from pen and page
into the clear midair
gave me a bird's
eye view.

95avatiakh
jun 15, 2017, 3:36 am

>94 nittnut: I agree about the writing style, I had it out from the library a few times before I managed to get going, I loved it once I did.

96HelenBaker
jun 20, 2017, 4:16 am

Read a fantasy novel -Fosterling by Emma Neale. This is another book completed for this challenge. I am not sure whether a story about a yeti /maero quite qualifies for this category nevertheless it is the nearest I could find on my shelves. It was okay but more of a young adult read.

97HelenBaker
jul 3, 2017, 5:08 am

I have finally read The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton. I have moved this to Read a book with a school/education setting as it is very much this category. I will find another title for the writer under 35 category, hopefully not too difficult. This book, like The Luminaries has a very complex and confusing structure. It is not that I didn't enjoy it but it was almost too clever.

98avatiakh
Bewerkt: jul 3, 2017, 6:43 am

>97 HelenBaker: Oh you are doing well. I'm trying to read more actual challenge books this month as i'm reading a lot of Australian/NZ writers but not my planned reads. I'm currently into Collision by Joanna Orwin, Three Summers by Judith Clarke and Between Sea and Sky by Hans Berger.

99HelenBaker
jul 19, 2017, 3:42 am

Read a book less than 200 pages - The Severed Land by Maurice Gee. Done. Only 6 to go although a few I have yet to find titles for.

100HelenBaker
okt 24, 2017, 2:32 am

Well I finally read H is for Hawk which has a bird on its cover only to discover it is not Australian but English so does not qualify for this challenge...

101avatiakh
okt 24, 2017, 3:51 am

...but a good read for all that?

I've read a few for this challenge, just haven't been updating, finally read The Quiet Earth.

102HelenBaker
okt 24, 2017, 2:45 pm

>101 avatiakh:. I admit that this is the third time I have attempted to read this book despite having listened to the author speak at the festival in Auckland. So it didn't capture my attention straight off. She writes quite poetically, which I enjoyed but I found my attention drifting. The extra storyline of T.H. White and his goshawk I found a bit jarring to the flow of the book. It was reasonably interesting but wouldn't rave about it.

103richardderus
okt 24, 2017, 5:39 pm

Oooh, I just found this! It's October, so I'm going with a 12-entry choice, but I'm starting out with a big advantage: Text sent me a dozen books to blog about that I'm going to be reviewing for November as well as one or two in my planned book-gifting guide from 24 November to 24 December.

ANZAC Bingo 1x12
1) Read a book about love--I'm going with The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock Serong because the love/hate relationship of these brothers is riveting.
2) Read a coming of age novel--Came Back to Show You I Could Fly by Robin Sloan a Text Classics entry that I've never heard of, which is exciting.
3) Read a historical fiction--Coming Rain by Stephen Daisley from Text, set in 1950s Outback Oz.
4) Read a book set on a Pacific Island--Pitcairn Pending by Kenneth Bain which it seems I'm the first person on LT to own. Hm.
5) Read a children's classic--The Fire-Raiser by Maurice Gee which you gifted me with on my 50th birthday Kerry!
6) Read a refugee story--The Road to Winter by Mark Smith is post-apocalyptic but the female lead is a "Siley" or asylum-seeker, so I think it fits.
7) Read a scifi novel--Dark Space and Darker Space by Lisa Henry, two very good gay-male led novels by Aussie romance powerhouse-cum-legend in that niche Henry. Excellent, if a small bit grim; together about 100,000 words and directly sequential, so I count them as one novel.
8) Read a book with a place name in the title--Potiki by Patricia Grace, another 50th birthday gift from Kerry.
9) Read a bestseller--Reckoning: A Memoir is, I'm assured, an Aussie bestseller by Magda Szubanski about her Polish WWII spy father's life and how it impacts her to this day.
10) Read a black comedy/noir--Our Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan combines comedy and suspense in approximately equal measure.
11) Read a debut novel--When the Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea is set on Jersey during WWII, written by a Jersey native who has, I gather, expatriated to Oz.
12) Read a book of short stories--Dead Americans by Ben Peek, these are thematically linked short stories and I really like Ben so I'm *finally* reviewing this book!

I'll edit this post to add links to reviews here on LT as they appear. Thanks for making this challenge, Kerry, I need a spur to make me write the darned reviews already.

104avatiakh
okt 25, 2017, 11:36 pm

Oh, hi Richard. I absolutely loved The Rules of Backyard Cricket, riveting reading even though it's set in the world of cricket. I'm a big fan of Text Publishing, I love their Text Classics series.
I've read The Road to Winter and its sequel.
Coming Rain won the NZ Book of the Year last year - http://www.noted.co.nz/culture/books/fiction-award-winner-stephen-daisley-interv...
Glad that you've managed to hold onto a number of your books, both those 50th birthday books are good. The Fireraiser was also a tv series. https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-fire-raiser-1986/series/background

105avatiakh
dec 5, 2017, 8:12 pm

I'm going to roll this challenge over for next year, I don't think anyone completed it. Participants will have the option of continuing or starting a new challenge.

106HelenBaker
dec 15, 2017, 2:34 am

Oops I have been slack at updating my progress and have completed 22/25 with another one I can read in the next week. Two others I have yet to find books to match but I could go to the library, as I have also finished my 50 and 75 challenge. That being said I am happy to tackle one of the other challenges next year. It has made for diverse reading...

107HelenBaker
dec 15, 2017, 2:50 am

I am thinking I will attempt the 2x25 challenge next year.

108avatiakh
dec 15, 2017, 4:57 am

Yes, I also haven't been updating. I've read quite a lot of Australasian fiction this year but not always the books on my list. I'll probably have a go at updating my list when I finish The life to come, yet another that I hadn't planned on reading.

109PaulCranswick
dec 15, 2017, 5:20 am

>105 avatiakh: Yippee! I am glad for the chance of another crack at this Kerry. I would hope to do much better next year (but i say the same things every December!).

110nittnut
dec 24, 2017, 8:35 am

I will drop by later to update my Bingo. I don't think I made Bingo, but I read some great books!

111HelenBaker
dec 27, 2017, 8:30 pm

>108 avatiakh: I have just this minute ordered this online as it is the first discussion book for ANZLitLovers. I, like you, have read a lot of other Australian and New Zealand titles but they haven't fitted the categories. I am tempted to alter the category to fit what I have read...

112HelenBaker
dec 27, 2017, 8:36 pm

Well, I will possibly finish at 23/25. I read Calling the Gods by Jack Lasenby, for my young adult read and thought it very good. I preferred it to The Severed Land by Maurice Gee actually.

113avatiakh
dec 27, 2017, 9:00 pm

>112 HelenBaker: I'd agree with you on that call. I liked The severed land but the Lasenby had the better story overall.
Have you read Lasenby's other books? I love Old Drumble, that and The Haystack are set in the Waikato.

>111 HelenBaker: I finished it last week and while I can admire the book, I didn't love it.

I'm just going to list all my other ANZAC reading here in the next couple of days and continue the bingo next year. I still want to read most of the books I've listed.

114HelenBaker
dec 27, 2017, 9:46 pm

No, I haven't read any of his other titles, despite being a primary school librarian and having several on the shelf, the two you mentioned included. I seldom read the books in the school library as I am too busy reading adult fiction but I was very impressed with his use of language.

115HelenBaker
dec 27, 2017, 9:50 pm

Kerry I have also just finished King Rich by Joe Bennett which I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend.

116avatiakh
dec 29, 2017, 2:19 pm

I haven't read anything by Joe Bennett so will have a look.
Do pick up Old Drumble, it's a lovely afternoon's read. I attended Jack Lasenby's Margaret Mahy Medal Lecture years ago, he's had a fascinating life, including a stint as editor of the School Journal.

117avatiakh
jan 1, 2018, 9:07 pm

So what did I read from Australia and New Zealand this year -

Trust No One by Paul Cleave
The Killing Hour by Paul Cleave
The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
Tell the truth, shame the devil by Melina Marchetta
Blood Moon by Garry Disher
Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher
Whispering Death by Garry Disher
Signal Loss by Garry Disher
under the cold bright lights by Garry Disher
Missus by Ruth Park
The legend of Winstone Blackhat by Tanya Moir
Girl in Between by Anna Daniels
Cut & Run by Alix Bosco
The dark days club by Alison Goodman
The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman
Heloise by Mandy Hager
Collision by Joanna Orwin
The Easy Way Out by Steven Amsterdam
The rules of backyard cricket by Jock Serong
Perfect Couple by Derek Hansen
Towards another summer by Janet Frame
The Starlings by Vivienne Kelly
The necessary angel by C. K. Stead
The Life to come by Michelle de Kretser
The quiet earth by Craig Harrison
From under the overcoat by Sue Orr

Junior ANZAC:
The Sam and Lucy Fables by Alan Bagnall
The Severed Land by Maurice Gee
Ghosts of Parihaka by David Hair
Magic and Makutu by David Hair
the stars at oktober bend by Glenda Millard
The bone sparrow by Zana Fraillon
Ballad for a mad girl by Vikki Wakefield
Shooting Stars by Brian Falkner
Three Summers by Judith Clarke
The Blue Cat by Ursula Dubosarsky
Wilder Country by Mark Smith
1914: Riding into war by Susan Brocker
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
While we run by Karen Healey
Parkland by Victor Kelleher
Space Demons by Gillian Rubinstein
+ some picturebooks

Nonfiction:
Out of the woods: a journey through depression and anxiety by Brent Williams - graphic memoir
Penguin Bloom: the odd little bird who saved a family by Cameron Bloom & Bradley Trevor Grieve

118nittnut
Bewerkt: jan 2, 2018, 12:49 pm

>117 avatiakh: That is impressive!

Here's my list - quite a bit shorter- LOL

The Wild Girl - Set Outside Australasia - C
The Slow Natives - Award Winner (Miles Franklin) - abandoned
The Chimes - Dystopian
The Quake Year - Number or quantity in the title
The Fire-Raiser - WWI - C
The Severed Land - under 200 pages
The Stars at Oktober Bend - YA
Words in Deep Blue - published in 2016/2017
Maori Boy - journal or memoir
Heart's Blood - fantasy
Shadrach Girl - animal on cover

I've nearly got a bingo now. :)

119HelenBaker
jan 4, 2018, 2:23 am

35/82 0f the books I read last year were Australian or New Zealand authors. I'm pretty pleased with that.